Salt Lick – Deer Attraction

Q: I am afraid I’ve created a monster by having a salt lick in my back yard. The deer love it. I recently counted eight there taking turns. I had hoped to put out impatiens to get some color. Do deer like impatiens?

A: If I installed a swimming pool in my front yard without a fence, I’d be accused of creating an attractive nuisance. By putting a salt lick in your back yard, you did the same thing for deer. They will be a nuisance to you and your neighbors as long as the salt is there. Taking into account that deer are fickle, impatiens is a plant usually consumed by deer. You can try repellents like Liquid Fence, Deer Defeat, PlantSkyyd or Milorganite to see if you can keep them at bay.